Improvement in lawn-mowers



tirant atti/a pero Letters Patent No. 113,336, dated April 4, 1871.k

sMPnovEMENT in LAwu-mowERs- The Schedule referredto in these LettersPatent and making Dart of the seine.

To all whom it may `concern Be it known that I, EVERETT G. PAssMonu, ofthe `city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Penn- Sylvania,have invented certain lnew and useful Improvements inLawn-ll/Iowers, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which y Figure 1 is a view in elevation of alawn-mower embodying my improvements, as seen frointhat side on whichthe cutter-driving mechanism is mounted;

Figure 2, a vertical longitudinal central section through the'same;

Figure 3, a plan or top view, partly in elevation and partly in section,at the line x x of iig. 1; and

Figure 4, a vertical section through the flanged frame, at the line y yof tig. 1.

My improvements relate to a lawn-mower, the frame of which is mountedupon a drum or roller, and the fixed cutter of which is supported by aroller placed between it and the drum; and It is the object of myinvention to secure increased traction of the drum without the use ofany counterweight; to diminish the number of parts of the machine, andto leave'an unobstructed space between the roller and drum, in which thecut grass may fall without being hunched; to simplify the drivingmechanismg.l

to protect the driving mechanism from obstruction or entanglement withthe cut grass; to simplify andfacilitate the method of throwing thespiral cutter into or out of gear; and to adapt the machine, when drawnly a horse, to cutting close to corners, around trees,

In the accompanying drawing the frame of the machine is shown ascomposed of two side pieces, A Af, supported upon and connected neartheir rear ends by a shaft, b, on which a drum, B, rotates freely. 4

At their front ends the frame-pieces extend down` ward, and form shoesa. al.

In rear of the shoes are bearings, in which the shaft c of a roller, O,which supports the front of the machine', rotates.

A spiral-cutter, D, tipped with removable cuttingblades, d, and havingrjournals cl at its ends, is mounted in bear-in gs Vin the frame-pieces AA', and carries a driving-pulley, d2, mounted loosely upon one of itsjournals inside the bearing thereof.

A projection or clutch, di, ig. 3, is formed upon the inner face of thepulley d2, which, when rotated in con'- tact with the spiral cutter D,imparts a corresponding movement of rotation thereto. When the spiralcutter is moved longitudinally in its bearings, so as to be Withdrawnfrom contact with the clutch cl3, it will cease to rotate, although themachine continues its motion.

In this instance I have Shown the spiral cutter as interlocked\vith%hedrivingpulley, and as.. prevented from moving endwise by a pin,l, passing through the cutter-shaft. The removal of this pin would leavethe shaft free to be moved endwise. In practice a shipping-lever ofordinary construction would he substituted for the pin. y

The pulley (Z2 is driven by a belt or chain, E, from the drum B, whichbelt or chain is inside thel bearings ofthe drum, that is to say,between the adjacent bearing and the center'of the machine, as well asinside those of the spiral cutter, as before stated. When a chain isused it will be prei'eralile to provide teeth upon the pulley and drum,which will take into the links of the chain.

By this arrangement I am enabled to use a driver for the belt or chainof nearly as great diameter as the drum, the latter being only recessedshuflciently to prevent the belt or chain from projecting beyond itsperiphery, and ani also enabled to place it in a position where it isfully protected from injury or derangement in passing over rough andhilly ground.

'For the distance between the bearings of the spiral cutter and the drumthe side pieces A A' of the frame is on the side of the machine furthestfrom the driving mechanism, is a simple bar,'of suitable strength, andof any desired cross-section. erIhe piece A is ot" greater depth, and isprovided with outward-projecting lianges a a?, respectively, above theupper and lower sides ot the belt or chain, E, and serving to electuallycover and protect the same from being obstructed by the grass as it iscut.

A guide, e, is likewise formed upon it, through which the belt or chainpasses, and is thereby maintained in proper relation to its pulleys.

A stationary cutter, F, is secured by bolts f to the frame-pieces A A',beneath and slightlyin rear ofthe axis of the spiral cutter D, andfurther serves as a transverse bil-ace to this part of the machine. Thespiral cutter, when rotated, shears off the grass between its edge andthe edge ot' the stationary cutter, and throws it over the, roller intothe space between the latter and the drum. By interposing proper linersbetween the stationary cutteroand the frame-pieces it may be raised' o rlowered as required.

A cross-bar, G, is secured to the frame-pieces A A', at their frontends, and has a swivel draft-pole, H, pivoted to it by a bolt, h.

The single-tree I, to which the horse is attached, is pivoted to thefront end of the draft-pole, and the draft of the horse may thus beexerted either parallel with or at any angle to the center line of themachine, the draft-pole supporting the single-tree and traces,

when the horse stops or slackens his motion ,"Ihe frame-pieces A A' areprolonged behind the itin. w

diier from each other in form. The piece A', which and preventing themfrom dropping upon the ground drum-axle, so asto form downward andrearward-projecting brackets, c5, to which a bail, composed ot' ahandle, J, and connecting-strapsj, is pivoted by bolts j.

In operating the machine the straps rest upon inclines a in the bracketsa5, in such position thatthe center line of the handle, if prolonged,would pass through t-he axis of the strap-pivots, and touch the groundat the point of contact therewith of the drum B. By thisrelatior1 of thebail to the frame and drum the power of the operator is applied in suchmanner as to throw nearlyall the weight upon the drum, therebyincreasing its traction, and balancingtheweight of I am aware thatframes, drums, rollers, fixed cutters, rotary cutters, shoes, anddriving-gears, heretofore, have been combined in various ways in lawntheclutch connection between the xed pulley and the cutter, these partsbeing constructed and operating in combination, as herein set forth.

3. The combination ofthe frame, the driving-drum, the balancingguiding-bail pivoted behind and below the axis of the driving-drum, theshoes,"the r'oller, and the horizontally-swinging draft-pole, to thefront of' which the horse is attached, these parts being constructedandoperating as described.

Y EVERETT G. PASSMORE.

' Witnesses:

WM. B. DAYTON, J. SNowDEN BELL.

